Steering and controlling mechanism for motor-vehicles.



- G. F. SMITH. STEERING AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED MAR.13, 1911.

1 ,01 0,082, Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

' 2 sums-sum: 1. 1 'f A ttor e y 7 G. F. SMITH. STEERING AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION-FILED HAR.13, 1911.

1,010,082. Patented Nov. 28, 1911'.

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ensmvos E. SMITH, or new BERLIN, onio.

STEERING AND CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

To all whom 'it may concern:

. Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS F. SMITH,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at mechanisms can be conveniently operated by the hands of the chauffeur applied directly to the rim of the steering wheel. 5A preferred embodiment of the invention, thus set forth in general'terms,is attained by the mechanism, construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure'l is aside elevation, partly in section, of the steering head and shank; Fig.

' 2, an under side view of the steering head,

, view of the upper end of the steering shank showing the shank in section on line 22,

Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the steering head and shank showing-the lower part in section; Fig. 4, a detached perspective 7 Fig. 5, an enlarged lower end view' of the sparker-swivel and yoke; and Fig. 6, a section of the sparker-swivel on line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The shank of the steering mechanism is composed of the rotatable tube 1, the lower end of which is journaled in the bearing 2 formed or secured to the bottom or frame. 3 of the vehicle, and on the upper end of the tubular shank 1 is' formed or secured the steering wheel 4. The pinion 5 is secured on the lower end of the tubular shank, and is preferably located within the case 6 formed or secured on thebearing 2, and the rotatable movement of the steering shank is communicated to the steering gear (not shown) by means of the laterally movable rack 7, which meshes with the pinion 5.

- The shank of the throttle controlling mechanism is composed of the preferably hollow or tubular bar 8 mounted inside the steering shank and preferably coaxial therewith, and is adapted to rotate therewith and also to move endwise therein; and the shank 9 of the ignition-controlling mechanism is preferably composed a of the rod or bar 9 Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 13,

Patented Nov. 28, 1911. 1911. Serial No. e14,1ss. i

which in turn is mounted, preferably (:0- axially, inside the throttle shank 8 and is furthermore adapted to rotate therewith and to operate endwise therein. The lower end of the throttle shank, 8 is preferablyguided in its endwise movements and held co-axially in the steering shank 1 by the guide bushing 10 formed or secured in the lower end thereof and fitted to the external cross sectiornof the throttle-shank 8; and the lower end of the ignition-shank 9 is guided in its endwise movements and held co-axially in the throttle shank 8' by means .of theguide bushing 11 formed or secured in the lower end of the throttle shank. It will be understood that the particular manner of associating the several shanks, thus set forth, is not essential for the general purposes of the invention, although the same is a very desirable arrangement of these parts. The cross head 12 is formed or secured on the upper end of the throttle shank 8,'and the cross head 13 is formed or secured on the upper end of the sparker shank 9, which cross heads protrude through the longitudinal guide slots 14 and 15 provided in opposite Walls of the steering shank 1 at or near the upper end thereof. The slots 14 and 15 are each made somewhat longer than the depth of the cross heads, so that while the cross heads and the corresponding shanks are permitted to move endwise within the'limits of the slots, the engagement of the cross heads within the sides of the slots requires the throttle shank and the ignition ,shank to rotate with. the steering shank.

the respective collars descrlbed above, and the rabbeted annular bearings 21 are preferably providedto hold these sleeves. coaxial with the shanks and collars and to stop the sleeves from endwise movement. These sleeves are preferably of a length corresponding to thelength of the respective guide slots, and are provided with the inmounted around the steering shank between i ternal screw threads 22 and 23 which are.

adapted to mesh witlrthe sprockets 24 and 25 on the ends of the cross heads of the throttle and ignition shanks; whereby a'ro-' tation of the respective sleeves serves to move the corresponding cross heads upward and downward, within the limits of the guide slots, it being understood that in this rotation the sleeves areheld against endwise movement by the respective collars, and that the use of the intervening collar-18 is not essential. The arms 26 and 27 are extended from the respective sleeves and ter- J' minate in the grip handles 28 and 29 which are preferably semi-cylindrical in form and longitudinally curved as circular arcs to fit the lower side of the rim of the wheel 4; and the lower sides of .these handles may be -formed, as shown, with the alternate radial ridges 30 and intervening grooves 31, which grooves are adapted to receive the fingers of the chaufleur. These arms may be secured to the sleeves by means of the clamping screw-pivots 32, in which event the arms are adapted to be frictionallv held in various positions of rotation on the pivots, but for the purposes of this invention the grip handles 28 and 29 are preferably positioned in contact with the rim of the wheel 4. It is evident that the frictional joint, or the spring of the arms. will permit the handles "to be clamped tightly against the rim of the steering wheelbv the grip of the chauffeur, or to slide freely around the same when the grip of the chauffeur is released. By

' this construction and arrangement of the tle shank and ignition shank; but that if the grip of the fingers is sufliciently loosened in either hand, so that the corresponding handle may rotate with respect to the steering wheel by sliding around the same, the corresponding screw sleeve will be rotated with reference to the steering shank, which rotation will move the corresponding cross head and its connected shank upward or downward within the steering shank. lhe endwise movement thus given 'to either one or' both of the throttle shank or the ignition shank is communicated to the throttle mechanism and ,the ignition mechanism (not shown), by means of the bellcranks 33 and 34 and the connecting rods 35 and 36, which bellcranks are connected with the respective shanks by means. of suitable swivel joints, which, as shown, may consist of the collars 37 and 38, keyed or otherwise secured on the lower ends of the respective shanks, the encircling rotatable collars 39 and 40, with the interengaging annular grooves and ribs 41 and 42, and the yokes 43 and 44 formed on the corresponding arms of. the bellcranks and engaged on the trunnions .45 provided on the encircling collars.

I claim:

1. A steering mechanism fora motor vehicle including a rotatable hollow steering shank with a wheel thereon and having longitudinal slots in its walls, an endwise-movable'shank in-thei steering shank havinga crosshead with sprockets protruding through the slots, an endwise-stopped rotatable sleeve around the steering shank hav-- ing an internal screwthread meshing with the sprockets, and an arm extended from the sleeve having ahandle slidably fitting'one side of the rim of the steering wheel. k

2. A steering mechanism for a motor vehicle including a rotatable hollow steering shank with a wheel thereon'and having longitudinal slots inits walls, an endwise'movable shank in the steering shank having a" cross head with sprockets protruding through the slots, an endwise-stopped rotatable sleeve around the steering shank having Bin-internal screw thread meshing with the sprockets, and an arm extended from the sleeve having a handle in sliding contact with the rim of-the steering wheel.

3. A steering mechanism for a motor vehicle including a rotatable hollow steering shank with a wheel thereon and having longitudinal slots in its walls, an endwise movable -tubul'ar shank in the steering shank having a cross head with sprockets protruding through corresponding slots, an endwise movable shank in the tubular shank also having across head with sprockets protruding through corresponding slots, and endwise-stopped rotatable sleeves .around the steering shank having internal screw threads meshing with the respective sprockets.

4.. A steering mechanism for a motor e-. hicle including a rotatable hollow steering shank with a wheelthereon and having longitudinal slots in its walls, an endwise movable shank in the steering shank having a cross head with sprockets protruding through the slots, and an endwise-stopped rotatable sleeve around the steering shank having an internal screw thread meshing with the sprockets.

5. A. steering mechanism for a motor vehicle including a rotatable steering shank with a wheel thereon, a plurality of endwisemovable motor controlling shanks associated with the steering shank and rotatable therewith, means operative by rotation on the steering shank for moving the associated sliding shanks endwise and having circular-arc handies in sliding contact with the rim of the steering wheel.

6. A steering mechanism for a motor vehicle including a rotatable steering shank with a wheel thereon, a plurality of endwise-movablc controlling shanks telescoped with the steering shank and rotatable therewith, means operative by rotation on the steering shank for moving the telescoped shanks endwise and having circular-arc handles in sliding contact with the rim of the steering wheel.

7 A steering mechanism for a motor vehicle including a rotatable steering shank with a wheel thereon, an endwise-movable motor controlling shank associated with the steering shank and rotatable therewith, means operative by rotation on the steering shank for moving the associated shank endwise and having a circular-arc handle in sliding contact with the rim of the steering Wheel.

8. A steering mechanism for a motor vehicle including a rotatable steering shank with a Wheel thereon, an endwise-movable motor cont-rollingshank telescoped with the steering shank and rotatable therewith means operative by rotation on the steering shank for moving the telescoped shank endwise and having a circular-arc handle in contact with the rim of the steering wheel.

9. A steering mechanism for a motor vehicle including a rotatable steering shank with a wheel thereon, a plurality of means operative by rotation on the steering shank for controlling respective motor mechanisms and having circular-arc handles slidably fitting the side of the rim of the steering wheel.

10. A steering and controlling mechanism for motor vehicles, including a rotatable steering shank with a wheel thereon, means operative by rotation on the steering shank for controlling a motor mechanism and having a circular-archandle slidably fitting the side of the rim of the steering wheel.

11. A steering mechanism for a motor vehicle including a rotatable steering shank with a wheel thereon, a plurality of means operative by rotation on the steering shank for controlling respective motor mechanisms and having circular-arc handles in sliding v contact with the rim of the steering wheel.

12. A steering mechanism for motor vehicles, including a' rotatable steering shank with a wheel thereon, means operative by rotation on the steering shank for controlling a motor mechanism and having a circular-arc handle in sliding contact with the rim of the steering Wheel.

GUSTAVUS' F. SMITH. lVitnesses HARRY FREAsE, F ERD J. ZETTLER, 

